The cities of Chula Vista and La Mesa will partner on a joint study to assess the viability of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) in their respective communities. Under a CCA, residents and businesses have the opportunity to choose who will purchase energy on their behalf – either the CCA or the incumbent utility (San Diego Gas & Electric) – and the renewable content of their electricity. A feasibility study is the first step to determine whether such a program would address the climate and clean energy goals of each city.

The City of Chula Vista will manage the joint request for proposals (RFP) process to identify consultants with expertise preparing CCA feasibility studies. The cities will share the cost of the study, which will take approximately eight months to complete once a consultant is contracted. The cities of La Mesa and Chula Vista have both made a commitment to 100% clean electricity through their Climate Action Plans. La Mesa is the first city in East County and the sixth city in San Diego County to make such a commitment. The La Mesa City Council approved the Climate Action Plan in March 2018 and directed staff to initiate a CCA feasibility study within one year. The La Mesa City Council approved funding for a feasibility study in the Fiscal Year 2017-2019 Biennial Budget. The study also was included as an implementation item in the 2017 update of the Chula Vista Climate Action Plan and the Chula Vista City Council approved funding for the study as part of the FY 2019 budget. The City of Chula Vista adopted the first Climate Action Plan in San Diego County in 2000.

Many cities in California, including San Diego, are exploring CCAs. The cities of Encinitas, Oceanside, Carlsbad and Del Mar are currently conducting a joint CCA feasibility study. The City of Solana Beach has the only active CCA in San Diego County and is one of 18 active CCAs in California. By the end of 2018, CCA programs will be serving over 2.5 million customers in the state.